One
by IsabelleRose
Summary: Heero visits the beach where he first met Relena to reflect on starting a new life. 1xR... sorta. Oneshot.


We all know I don't own Gundam Wing.

This is a little Heero/Relena oneshot I wrote during a little bit of writer's block for The Broken Road. One might consider it a prequel chapter, but it doesn't have to be. Please enjoy.

-Izzy

* * *

One

The waves washed up along the shore, as waves tend to do, especially on windy days like these. A line of foam traced its way along the sand. The abandoned beach was beautiful at this hour, partially because the sunset cast the dazzling hues across the sky that had delighted man for ages, and partially because the beach was, indeed, abandoned.

He was glad it hadn't turned into a tourist attraction. The military base that had once been situated here no longer existed. Somehow, that made the tranquility of this beach that much more valuable to him. It had once been a place of bloodshed, of war. Now, the waves continuously wiped the slate clean. Those miserable days were over. This beach was no longer fenced off and desolate.

It couldn't be called desolate, because such a word evokes the feeling of hopelessness. No, this beach was quiet, empty, even, but not desolate. It was so full of feeling and the sounds that fighter jets and mobile suit carriers no longer drowned out.

He made his way down the cement steps. He never took his eyes off the horizon and the way the light shimmered off the restless water. He could identify with this place. Just like the waves washed the beach clean, he felt his own burdens wash away in this place.He could envision a new future for himself, wiped clean of his past. Not because this beach was _this_ beach, of course. This beach just happened to be a beach that embodied everything a beach ought to. He appreciated the perfection.

Alright, so perhaps _this_ was a special beach for more than one reason. He knew that it was no coincidence that this beach meant so much more to him than any of the others he'd visited. No, this beach was different. This beach was more than a symbol. This beach contained history.

"Heero!"

His name caught up to him just as he reached the water. He wasn't sure how it was possible, but Heero didn't believe in coincidence. He turned just slightly, just enough to be able to watch her run towards him, just enough to signify recognition, and just enough to mask his face in shadow in order to hide the smile that crossed his lips.

"Relena."

"Heero, what are you doing here? Somebody said they thought they saw you headed in this direction and I just had to know..." She stopped, reflecting on how history had a funny way of repeating itself.

"I came here to think," Heero replied gruffly. She just nodded and took his hand. It wasn't a gesture they were well acquainted with, but he accepted her hand gladly.

"This is such a beautiful place," Relena stated in the voice that was no longer too mature for her age. Heero said nothing to that. "I've missed you, Heero."

"Relena..."

"No, Heero, it's okay. I've told you that this isn't about love. It's about _you._" It was the best she could do to explain his importance to her. A feeling that went above and beyond love. Appreciation for his quirks and secrets, desire for his company for the sake of just that. This place was most beautiful when she was here with him.

"You mean a lot to me," Heero finally offered. He didn't think this was love- this over-protectiveness coupled with the comfortable way he felt when she was near. It didn't matter whether it was love or not. What mattered was that the two somehow stayed in touch. As long as he could hear her voice now and then, he found the power to believe in the world he lived in today.

"You mean a lot to me, too," Relena smiled. They watched as the light faded into twilight. Heero glanced at Relena to find her cheeks wet with tears.

"What's wrong?" He turned them to face one another, tenatively raising a hand to brush away a tear.

"Oh, Heero! I'm sorry. I'm just so afraid."

"Why?"

"I don't want to lose you," she murmured softly, tears running freely down her cheeks, flushed with emotion.

"I'm not leaving," he told her. She shook her head.

"You are. I know that our friendship is special now, but as soon as you _do_ fall in love, our friendship will stop meaning anything to you. It'll lose importance. When that happens, when you turn to someone else, I'll lose you. I'll lose the person that's always there to counsel me and listen to my stories. I'll lose the one person that really knows what I've been through, the mistakes I've made, and still accepts me. I'll lose-"

"Relena." Heero's powerful voice cut through her emotional banter. "I'm not going anywhere. Love will not come between our friendship. No person or emotion or circumstance could replace you. Our friendship _is_ special. It will continue to be special until the end of time."

"But-"

"There is no coincidence. You and I met here two years ago for a reason. You and I met here tonight for a reason. We're destined to find one another over and over again," he placed his hand at the back of her neck and gently pressed his forehead to hers. She smiled weakly up at him.

"Promise me you won't abandon me for some _woman_," Relena uttered with disgust. Heero let out a rare chuckle.

"Promise me you won't abandon me for some _man_," he replied.

"Fine. Friends forever," she insisted.

"Mission Accepted," he murmured in response.

She pulled back a few inches, enough to look him in the eye properly. For a second, his presence pulled her in and her stomach did an uncomfortable turn. She felt lightheaded suddenly and raised a hand to her brow to ward off the strange sensation. Heero frowned and lifted her chin gently to see whether she was alright. She just smiled. Then her mind returned to her.

"Oh, no! Heero! The party! I left in the middle to find you and-" she turned to leave but found their fingers still entwined. She felt his intense gaze and looked up to meet his eyes again.

"Don't leave yet," he said. She looked at him, puzzled.

"Heero, I have to get back! I didn't even tell anybody where I was going and this is getting to be a rather bad habit of mine- leaving my own birthday party. Dorothy will hire trackers if I don't return soon," she reasoned.

He kissed her. He was always one to act on his emotions. Something about the way she looked, something about the air here and the things they talked about made him _need_ to kiss her. She didn't resist. Instead, after a brief moment of shock she reached up her hand to tangle her fingers in his hair. Their lips meshed perfectly. For a moment, it was okay for them to act on a fleeting feeling that had followed them through the war. Just a moment. He pulled away from her and she let him.

"Heero," she barely managed to whisper. How could she explain everything she was feeling and everything she feared?

"Happy Birthday, Relena," he paused, she thought she detected him shaking, but then realized it was she that was quaking violently. "I won't see you much anymore. I'm going to a university. I'll be in touch..."

She didn't know what to say. She willed herself back into his arms and they held one another, understanding that it would probably be the last time. Their relationship was changing. It was time to start their new lives. Maybe they wanted to love one another. That wasn't enough, though. They _couldn't_l ove one another the way they wanted to, so they just left it at that. This was their one kiss, their one chance to express an emotion that would be forever abandoned from this date forward.

"I'll miss you," she finally managed, realizing that she was crying.

"I'll never be too far," he comforted. "I'll email you. I'm no good with phone calls."

"Often?"

"It'll be my first priority. Friends forever," he reminded her. She nodded and took a deep breath.

They parted. She let him go, and he let her go. She had a party to attend, he had a flight to catch. Life was tearing them in different directions. They didn't fight it. He watched her leave the same way he'd watched her come, but with a different feeling. This time he wasn't smiling. He looked around at the beach that had been perfect only an hour ago. It felt empty now. Almost... desolate.


End file.
